Micheal Taylor is a distinguished government and industry agricultural research and policy economist. Since 1992, he has been Secretary to five Victorian and Australian Government departments. Taylor has provided leadership in international, Commonwealth and State policies and legislation, advising Governments and Ministerial Councils on a wide range of agricultural, food, forestry, fisheries, energy, minerals, water, environment and sustainable natural resource management issues. Particularly significant were improved quarantine policy arrangements to increase Australia's protection from pests and diseases, the National Food Industry Strategy, the implementation of the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and national water reform.